Meet the candidates vying for District 1 seat on Governor's Council

Four Democrats are vying for Governor’s Council District 1, and with no Republican candidate in the race, the winner of the Sept. 9 primary will be this region’s next representative.

With a two-year term and meeting weekly, councilors’ duties include the approval of gubernatorial candidates for judgeships, clerk magistrates, public administrators, members of the Parole Board, Appellate Tax Board, Industrial Accident Board and Industrial Accident Reviewing Board, notaries and justices of the peace.

Oliver Cipollini Jr.

Incumbent Oliver Cipollini Jr., a Democrat from Marstons Mills, said in his last two years as representative for District 1, he participated in over 80 appointments and his message to his opponents is it’s a lot of work and a Governor’s Councilor must vote on what they think is right.

“Nobody’s going to buy my vote,” Cipollini said. “I’m cognizant of the people I represent. It’s not about me, it’s about public safety.”

In his nearly two years on the Governor’s Council, Cipollini said the members have rejected four of Gov. Deval Patrick’s nominees, and he was particularly proud of rejecting the appointment Attorney Joseph Berman. His nomination for a seat on the Superior Court created a controversy and among the criticisms against Berman were his large campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.

Cipollini said Patrick tried to convince him to support Berman, but he said he was not swayed.

“I’m not afraid to say no,” Cipollini said.

A retired clerk magistrate and former social worker, Cipollini said his experience, particularly in the commonwealth court system, gives him an edge to make the right decisions when confirming gubernatorial judicial nominees.

Cipollini said the better candidates for judgeships have a combination of experience in both criminal and civil courts.

“They need to know how to pay their own bills and do their own research,” Cipollini said.

With 80 percent of crime drug-related, Cipollini said he supports the implementation of drug courts in the state and that rehabilitation is the key to dealing with the issue.

In 2012, Cipollini beat out his older brother and District 1 Republican incumbent Charles Cipollini, a replay of the 2010 race, when the pair openly campaigned for each other in the race for Governor’s Council.

Oliver Cipollini, who said he raises little campaign funding, said when he is out on the primary campaign trail he hears the criticism that he’s too conservative and not true to the Democratic party.

“But I believe in my stances,” Cipollini said.

With many in the commonwealth critical of the existence of the Governor’s Council, some calling for its abolishment, Cipollini said he feels the same way but with a caveat.

“If not the Governor’s Council, there has to be another system in place. You can’t just have the governor making the decisions,” Cipollini said.

Joe Ferreira

Attorney and retired Somerset chief of police Joe Ferreira said he has the education and experience necessary to make informed decisions on voting for judicial nominees.

“I will be looking for the proper temperament and someone who is hard on criminals and compassionate to victims,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira touted his 30-year career in law enforcement and 20 years practicing law.

In 1992, Ferreira said he took a two-year break from the police department when he was one of 35 law students chosen to work as a law clerk to the Justices of Superior Court of Massachusetts.

“I’ve seen the good and the bad and I have a unique perspective,” Ferreira said.

According to his biography, Ferreira is a former Swansea and Berkley police officer, and joined the Somerset Police Department in 1994, rising through the ranks before becoming police chief in 2005. Under his leadership, the police department received national accreditation in 2008.

Ferreira is also the former chairman of the Somerset Planning Board and has served as president of the Southeast Chiefs of Police, the former executive board member of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police and the New England Chiefs of Police associations.

Ferreira, a Somerset resident, retired as police chief in May.

The candidate has tapped fellow attorney Nicholas Bernier as his campaign adviser and treasurer. Bernier, who sought the Democratic nomination for the Governor’s Council in 2012, was narrowly defeated by Cipollini.

Ferreira said he’s been working hard on the campaign trail attempting to visit all cities and towns in District 1. He said he hears frustration regarding crime and residents are tired of seeing repeat offenders. People, he said, are also worried about what he called a drug epidemic in communities.

While he supports drug courts, Ferreira said, they should be for addicts and not drug dealers who belong in prison.

With the Governor’s Council being in the state constitution for the past 200 years, Ferreira said it is an effective board because it does not allow politics to get involved in the process of appointing judges.

While some people are critical of the existence of the Governor’s Council, Ferreira said he believes it’s because people don’t understand the scope of the board’s duties.

“But if people wanted to abolish the council, I would live by that vote of the majority,” Ferreira said.

Alexander Kalife

New Bedford real estate attorney Alexander Kalife admits he’s had a quiet campaign, but said he’s no less committed to seeking the office.

“I believe it’s a very important job,” Kalife said. “Our state selects judges much differently than any other state.”

Kalife is one of the founders of the non-profit SouthCoast Fair Housing and said he knows the importance of the state’s Housing Court. Currently, there are no housing courts in Barnstable, Nantucket and Dukes counties, although there are plans to create satellite courts in those locations, Kalife said.

“They’ll be picking new judges and I would like to be involved,” Kalife said. “Being in the field, I know it’s a pressing issue and it needs to be acted on quickly.”

Like his opponents, Kalife said he knows that people feel the Governor’s Council is obsolete, but that very few people are aware of its responsibilities.

Judges, he said, are appointed for a lifetime, the funding those positions are for a lifetime as well. The appointments are not something that should involve political influence.

“It is a way to protect our liberties,” Kalife said.

Walter Moniz

In his third attempt to capture the seat for District 1 on the Governor’s Council, Walter Moniz, a New Bedford businessman, said he has a lot of support from local labor unions and state Reps. Antonio Cabral and Robert Koczera, both D-New Bedford, and Paul Schmid III, D-Westport.

In addition, Moniz claims the three Somerset selectmen have endorsed him over challenger and former Somerset police chief Ferreira and he has the support of eight out of nine Fall River city councilors.

“That’s not bad, the list of community leaders goes on,” Moniz said.

Moniz said he’s been passionate about this race, saying that while he’s proud of the businesses he’s grown, he misses serving the public since working as an administrative aide to former New Bedford Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. for seven years.

Moniz said he’s the candidate who would be the most effective and would be part of the change by appointing what he called “community judges.”

“Judges matter, they impact lives,” Moniz said.

Of the judges serving in Bristol County 80 percent do not reside in the county, Moniz said, adding he wants to be the first Governor’s Councilor to advocate that judges should be from the communities they serve.

“We need to get judges that support drug treatment, are strong on the issue of the illegal use of guns and support dangerousness hearings to make a major impact,” said Moniz. “I want to use the role as governor’s councilor to help be part of the solution of any community in the commonwealth.”

Moniz’s campaign chairwoman is Dorothy Feliz-Sutter, wife of Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, who has made it his mission to use dangerousness hearings to keep alleged violent defendants from getting bail while awaiting trial.

“I want to advocate on the part of the district attorney, police departments and the community,” Moniz said.

On the notion that the Governor’s Council is obsolete and should be disbanded, Moniz said he thinks the problem is perception and that people don’t get to see the council in action.

“I think people feel that way because they’ve been left out,” Moniz said. “Our campaign, though, since 2010 has brought so much more awareness.”

Moniz said if elected he would meet with community groups in District 1 to talk about the work the council is doing.